Lips of an Angel
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: Infidelity had never been an issue in her mind, not until an old flame resurfaced in her life. Now she's stuck inbetween two worlds and she can't get out. Will she risk it all her sisters, her husband and her son just to rekindle a romance?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Her coffee cup went 'clunk' on the wooden desk as she sat down. She pushed the button in the center of the computer monitor and it glowed to life. Leaning back in the chair, she waited for it to boot. Paige yawned as she lazily selected her user account and entered her password. A picture of she and her sisters from last year's Christmas get together smiled brightly back at her.

"Good morning to you too," she muttered as she pulled up the internet. She reached over and sipped her coffee. Despite the intake of hot liquid, she felt a shiver run the length of her spine and she pulled her bathrobe closer around her body.

She sat back as the page continued to load. They really did need faster internet. This was ridiculous. It shouldn't take five minutes just to load a page. She eyed the small digital clock on the bottom right of the screen and sighed. It was only 5:28. Henry wouldn't be up for another hour and she'd just gotten the baby back to sleep about ten minutes ago.

"Let's see what's new," she whispered to herself as her fingers flew over the keys. She had to wait once more as the page refreshed, bringing up her email. She scanned through the mass of emails, mostly spam. She hurriedly selected them and hit the delete key. She was just about to close out of the page when she noticed there was one more email blinking 'new'. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the title. "We have found a new match for you" the subject line read. Out of curiosity she clicked it.

_Dear Ms. Matthews,_

_We would like to inform you that based on your criteria; we have found a new match for you on You can follow the link below to view this member's personal message to you and respond. If you no longer wish to receive emails from our site, please reply to this email with the word "remove" in the subject line. scratched her head. She hadn't been on that site in almost a year and a half. She'd completely forgotten that she hadn't cancelled her subscription. But why would they be sending her notification that they had found a match?_

"Paige, honey?" Henry called as he came down the hallway. Paige quickly minimized the email window and spun around to block the screen.

"You're up early," she commented.

"You too. You ok?" he replied.

"Yeah…Henry Jr. was up a little while ago for a feeding and I didn't feel like going back to bed," Paige answered, getting up and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Is that so?" he breathed, his lips brushing against hers.

"Yeah," she answered, kissing him tenderly.

"You sure you don't want to come back to bed?" he asked, giving her puppy dog eyes. She averted her gaze to the computer. The mystery match could wait until Henry left for the day, right?

"Ok," she whispered and allowed her husband to lead her back to their bedroom.

Half an hour Paige rolled onto her back, breathless. Her head spun as she tried to slow her heart down. Had they ever done it that fast before?

"I love you," Henry murmured in her ear. She smiled as she looked over at him, his bare chest heaving up and down quickly.

"I love you too," she affirmed and kissed his cheek.

She rolled over and curled up against his body. He slid his arm around her waist and the pair fell asleep together for the next half hour until Henry's alarm sounded. Groaning he smacked it with his palm. They were about to go back to sleep when the baby monitor crackled.

"I got him," Paige muttered as Henry moved to get up.

"I have to get in the shower," he mumbled.

The pair parted ways in the doorway and Paige headed into their son's room. Henry Jr. was six months old now and he was growing like a weed. He already weighed seventeen pounds.

"Hey big guy," she cooed at the child lying the crib before her. He opened his bright blue eyes at the sound of his mother's voice. She hoped he would keep the blue eyes but she figured he probably wouldn't.

"You ready for a diaper change?" she asked and without waiting for an answer she picked him up. Carefully she laid him down on the changing table and undid his one-piece sleeper and undid the diaper. Her nose wrinkled at the contents but she quickly discarded it.

"You made a mess, yes you did," she babbled the boy as she cleaned him up.

"Let's go see Daddy," Paige murmured and carried her son into the kitchen. She set him in the baby carrier and set about warming up another bottle and making fresh coffee. By the time Henry walked in, breakfast of eggs and bacon was already on the table.

"How are you this morning?" he cooed at the baby sucking on his bottle.

"Hungry," Paige answered.

"Eat before it gets cold," Paige ordered. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek as he sat down to his breakfast.

Twenty minutes later Henry was heading out the door, Paige waving him goodbye as best she could while holding Henry Jr.

"Let's go see who Mommy's secret admirer is," she sighed and laid him in the bassinet by the computer desk. She pulled up the email and clicked the link at the bottom of the email. A new window opened, asking her for her login information. Thinking for a minute she quickly filled into the two text boxes and clicked the 'login' button. As soon as the screen opened she began to scan the short message that sat in her inbox.

_Dear Ms. Matthews,_

_I found your page on this site and felt a connection. I'd like to meet you. I live in the area and am free all day. I don't want to take things too fast; you don't seem like the kind of girl who is into rushing things. So how about we meet for coffee at noon?_

_Signed,_

_Agent Angel_

"Agent Angel huh?" Paige muttered to herself. She looked down at her son. It couldn't hurt just to meet the guy. She could bring Henry Jr. and explain to the guy that she was married and not interested. It was simple. She hit the reply button and quickly typed a reply to the effect of 'I'd love to meet. See you then'. She hopped in the shower after she put Henry Jr. down for his mid-morning nap and as she was drying her hair she had a thought. Perhaps bringing the baby would be a bit too dangerous. What if he was a lunatic? She decided she would see if Piper could take him for the afternoon. At quarter to twelve she pulled into the driveway at the Manor and walked up the familiar from steps.

"Anyone home?" she called as she walked into the front hall.

"Paige," Leo called, coming into view.

"Hey, Leo. Not at Magic School?" she asked.

"No…Wyatt's sick and I'm staying home with him. What's up?" he responded.

"I was kind of hoping you guys could watch Henry Jr. for me for a few hours. I have a lunch…meeting and I can't really bring him with me," Paige explained as best she could without revealing too much.

'Sure. Piper should be home in a little while so I think we can handle him," her brother-in-law assured her, taking the baby carrier and diaper bag from her.

"Thanks. I owe you guys," Paige called as she rushed back to her car. She climbed in and checked herself in the rearview mirror.

"Let's knock 'em dead," she told herself as she pulled back onto the road. Five minutes later she was walking down the sidewalk towards the open air café where they had decided to meet. She didn't see any guys sitting alone so she decided to get a table and wait. It turned out she didn't have to wait long. She was drumming her fingers on the table nervously as she waited. She didn't hear thee footsteps walked up to her table and stop.

"Anyone sitting here?" a male voice asked.

"I'm actually waiting for someone," Paige answered, not looking at the man.

"Agent Angel?" he asked, making Paige's head shoot up.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"You must be Ms. Matthews," he commented and took a seat across from her. Slowly, the man before her smiled and took of his hat and sunglasses. Paige looked at him, speechless. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be. She felt her throat grow dry and had to swallow several times to bring the moisture back. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to answer the question in her mind. He just waited for her to speak and finally she got the function of her voice back.

"Kyle?" she asked hoarsely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hi Paige," Kyle greeted from across the table. She simply stared at him. She hadn't seen him in years.

"How…?" she trailed off.

"I figured it was you. How many other Ms. Matthews do you know," he commented, giving her a smile. Paige thought for a moment. His name did seem to make sense now that she thought about it.

"So you're back in San Francisco then?" Paige asked.

"Yeah. I have a few charges in the area so I bought an apartment downtown," Kyle answered.

"This is…definitely not what I was expecting," Paige muttered more to herself than to her companion.

"What? What were you expecting?" Kyle pressed, tentatively placing a hand on top of hers.

"Well…for one thing I wasn't expecting you," she began.

"And…I only agreed to this little meet up to tell whoever you were that thanks for the offer but I'm not really interested," Paige explained. Just then Kyle caught sight of her wedding band.

"You're married," he stated and pulled his hand away.

"Yeah…about a year. And we have…a six-month-old," Paige affirmed, looking embarrassed.

"Wow…this is really awkward," Kyle muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Just a little," Paige agreed.

They fell into silence as the world passed them by on the busy street. Paige rested her forehead on her hand and Kyle averted his gaze. Finally he cleared his throat, making Paige look up at him.

"Well…we came for coffee so do you…want some coffee?" he asked.

"Yeah…I'd like that," she answered and Kyle signaled for a server.

Once they'd ordered they fell back into silence. Paige opened her purse and began to rummage through it until she found her wallet.

"Hey, I'll pay,' Kyle stated as he saw her extract it from her purse.

"I was actually going to show you a picture of Henry and the baby," Paige snickered.

"Right," her companion murmured, blushing. She pulled the picture from one of the photo protectors and handed him the picture. The trio smiled up at him happily.

"You look very happy," he commented, taking in every detail of her husband and son.

"Yeah…" Paige affirmed.

"He's very cute," Kyle stated offhandedly as he handed the photograph back.

"Excuse me?" Paige asked, looking very confused.

"You're son. He's cute," Kyle clarified.

"Right…I knew that," Paige giggled.

"It's really good to see you, Paige," he sighed as the waitress brought their coffee out to them.

"Yeah, you too. It's been…a long time," Paige admitted.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked after he took a sip of the hot liquid.

"I'm just half expecting the Elders to show up and drag you away," Paige murmured.

"Hey, look at me," Kyle ordered, lifting her chin in his hand.

"We're not breaking any cosmic rules, here. We're having coffee, that's all," Kyle assured her.

"But they just…took you away last time," Paige sniffled, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah…and that wasn't fair of them to do. But we can still be friends," Kyle muttered, his free hand reaching out the take hold of hers.

"Friends…right," Paige sighed and looked at her watch. It was already almost two thirty.

"It was great to see you and I really hate to cut this short but I told Piper and Leo that I'd pick Henry Jr. up by two," Paige stated hurriedly. She downed her coffee and stood up, pulling her purse onto her shoulder.

"Paige, wait," Kyle called, jumping to his feet. He grabbed a clean napkin and snagged a pen from a passing waitress. He quickly scribbled something on the napkin.

"Here's my address if you ever want to stop by," he mumbled, holding out the napkin for her to take. She took it with a smile.

"Thanks," she said as she tucked it safely into her purse before pulling out her car keys.

"It was really great to see you," she repeated as she walked away, waving over her shoulder. Kyle stared after her, coffee cup in his hand, pen in the other.

Paige pulled into the driveway of the Manor at 2:45. She jumped out as fast as she could and raced inside. She was greeted instantly by two-year-old Chris.

"Aunty Paige," he squealed, trying to climb up her pant leg.

"Hi sweetie," she greeted as she picked him up.

"Where's Mommy?" she asked and he pointed in the direction of the sunroom. Looking a little rattled, Paige carried Chris into the sunroom. She found Piper rocking Henry Jr. in her arms. A half-empty bottle sat on the table before her.

"Piper," Paige called softly, not wanting to wake her son.

"Paige…you're forty-five minutes late," Piper stated, sounding annoyed.

"I know…we lost track of time. How's Wyatt feeling?" she asked, sitting down next to her sister.

"He's taking a nap," Piper replied just as Leo walked in with a thermometer.

"His fever's started to go down," Leo informed his wife, giving his younger son a smile.

"I'm really sorry that I'm late, Piper," Paige tried again.

"Yeah just…don't let it happen again," her older sister muttered. Chris climbed out of his aunt's lap and toddled over to his box of toys.

"Ok…it won't," Paige murmured and took her son. She picked up the bottle and headed for the hallway, grabbing the diaper bag on the way.

"Paige," Piper called and rushed after her baby sister.

"Who were you having lunch with?" her sister asked. She knew her sister didn't stay out late for lunch with her charges.

"What?" Paige asked, turning around just as she had her hand on the doorknob.

"Who did you have lunch with?" Piper reiterated, arms over her chest just as Leo brought the baby carrier out from the kitchen. He saw the stern look on his wife's face and disappeared quickly back into the kitchen.

"What does it matter?" Paige asked, situating her son in the carrier. Remarkably he was still asleep.

"Well there must be a reason you're not telling me," she retorted. Paige rolled her eyes at Piper.

"I sort of…got asked out," she mumbled.

"Paige…you realize that you stop dating after you get married," Piper lectured.

"Yes, Piper…I know that!" Paige snapped.

"I went to tell the guy that thanks but no thanks. I forgot to cancel my subscription with the online dating site," she continued.

"But…it turned out to be…Kyle," she admitted, muttering into her sleeve.

"Who was that?" Piper pressed.

"Kyle," Paige stated, looking her sister straight in the eye.

"Kyle….as in…Agent Kyle Brody…?" Piper trailed off.

"Yes, that Kyle. We had coffee. Is there something wrong with that?" Paige hissed.

"No," Piper answered. She watched as Paige gathered her things and left the Manor, not even bothering to walk out the door.

"Everything ok?" Leo asked, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"I don't know," Piper replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

"She seemed to storm off," he commented.

"Yeah…I don't think she liked me prying," Piper answered.

"Prying? What were you prying about?" he asked.

"Now who's prying," she teased.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"She…had coffee with Kyle," Piper explained after a long pause.

"Kyle…I didn't know he was in the area," Leo stated.

"Yeah, apparently neither did she," Piper added.

Back across town Paige was placing Henry Jr. in his play pen when the front door opened. She looked up to see her husband striding through the door.

"You're home early," she commented.

"Yeah, I know. I left some files on the desk in the den. I'm going to work from home for the rest of the afternoon," he answered.

"Oh…ok," she murmured.

She watched him head for the den before darting into the kitchen. She pulled her purse off the back of one of the chairs and sat down. She pulled out the folded napkin and stared at the address. It wasn't too far away and she could always bring the baby, right? They were just friends. There was nothing wrong with being friends. She was sure Kyle would love to meet Henry Jr.

But as Paige sat there, memorizing every pen stroke on that napkin a familiar feeling began to tickle her consciousness. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, a feeling only associated with Kyle. It was that familiarity with magic that had first drawn her to him. He'd known it existed for years. Somehow she felt that made it ok to trust him with her own secret. It wasn't that Henry didn't understand, after all he was ok with it, even offered to watch the kids if the sisters had a demon to vanquish. With a sigh she put the napkin back in her purse and poured herself another cup of coffee.

"I really need to cut back," she grumbled to herself.

"Honey," Henry called, drawing her from her thoughts.

"In the kitchen," she answered. He appeared, looking a little frantic.

"Where are the baby wipes?" he asked.

"Same place they always are," Paige replied, giving him a smirk.

"Right," he muttered to himself and disappeared. As she watched him go, she wondered whether it would be wise to tell him about Kyle.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Paige looked out the car window as she waited for Henry to fill up the gas tank. They were going out for dinner, the first time since the baby had been born. She hoped that he wouldn't make too much of a fuss. It had been nearly two months since she had met up with Kyle at the coffee shop. She'd been doing her best to avoid him. He'd sent her a few emails now and then but they were nothing of consequence. Suddenly there was a tapping on her window, making Paige jump. She rolled it down.

"Can you hand me my wallet, honey?" Henry asked. She nodded and picked up the brown leather wallet from the driver seat, handing it to him through half-open window.

"Thanks sweetie," he thanked her and fed the card into the machine. He climbed back in and they were on their way. Paige's gaze was still transfixed on the scenes passing by as they navigated the San Francisco streets.

"Are you ok, Paige?" Henry asked as he pulled to a stop at a light.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine," she murmured absently.

"You look…distracted," he commented as the car in front of him began to move forward.

"Sorry….I guess I'm just tired. My charges have been a little…needy lately," she lied. She hadn't seen any of her charges in over a week. She'd just been up late thinking about Kyle.

"It's ok. You're job is stressful," he murmured as he put on his turn signal and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

"Not half as stressful as yours," she teased softly as she removed the baby carrier from the back seat.

"Honey, you save people's lives from demons," Henry rebutted.

"You save people from theirs too," she added as he held the door open for her.

Dinner began uneventfully. The waitress that was serving them had to fuss over the eight month old. She cooed at him and waved her fingertips. He reached his left hand out to grab her pen.

"Oh you want this?" she cooed in a high-pitched voice, handing the child the pen. He took it and started to put it in his mouth.

"No sweetie. We don't eat pens," Paige reprimanded, taking the writing utensil from the baby. He began to whimper but she stuck a pacifier in his mouth.

"He's just too precious," the blond sighed as she took her pen back.

"Do you want me to come back in a few minutes or have you decided?" she asked.

"I think we're ready. We'll have a bottle of merlot and I'll number six," Henry answered.

"I'll have a number eight," Paige added as she pulled a bottle from the diaper bag.

Henry Jr. reached out for the bottle, the pacifier falling from his lips into his lap. Paige picked it up and replaced it with the bottle. Henry took the bottle to support it while his son consumed the meal within.

"It's so nice to go out to dinner again," he sighed as the waitress poured their wine.

"I bet. He looks like a good baby though," the waitress murmured as she smiled at them.

Ten minutes later she returned with their meals and bid them enjoy. Paige picked at her steak while Henry consumed his quite happily. He looked up as he set his knife down and furrowed his brow.

"You've barely touched your food," he murmured, placing a hand atop hers.

"I'm just not hungry," she explained.

"Honey…you're not…pregnant again are you?" he asked, his voice hushed.

"No. I just…think I'm coming down with a stomach bug or something," she defended herself. They hadn't had sex in a couple weeks and she was pretty sure she'd know if she was pregnant.

"Ok," he muttered and flagged the waitress down for the check.

"Was everything to your liking?" she asked as she cleared the plates away. Henry nodded and handed her a credit card.

"I'll be right back with this," she said cheerfully and returned momentarily with the copy of the check for Henry to sign.

The drive home was silent, with the exception of the occasional noise from the back seat. Paige brought him in and settled him for the night. She gave him a kiss on the top of his head, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Goodnight baby," she breathed as she waved and slowly turned out the light. She headed towards the living room to find her husband.

"Honey, I think I'm going to go to bed. Like I said earlier, I'm not feeling too well," Paige informed him. He merely nodded, not even looking up from his paperwork.

Paige took her time getting ready for bed. She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror for a good ten minutes, just running the brush through her hair. She looked tired and pale. She set the brush down on the counter and rubbed her eyes. She probably just needed sleep. She climbed into bed and nestled down beneath the covers. She fell asleep almost instantly. She awoke the next morning to the sound of a crackling baby monitor.

"I'll get him," Henry mumbled groggily and climbed out of bed. Paige wasn't about to complain. She let her mind drift back to sleep until she felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently.

"What?" she asked, very disoriented.

"I'm heading to work. The baby's been fed and changed," Henry informed her. She groaned and sat up. Well now she was going to have to get up.

"Ok. Have a good day," she called and he disappeared down the hall. Slowly she stood and pulled on yesterday's clothes. She headed for the baby's room and saw her son squirming in his crib.

"Morning little man," she greeted and picked him up. She carried him to the play pen and set him down.

"You stay right there. Mommy's going to get a cup of coffee," she told him. He merely stared up at her with a gentle gaze. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee and sat down to check email; nothing from Kyle. She wasn't sure if that made her happy or sad. She set her cup down and decided that going around in yesterday's clothes wasn't such a good idea and rushed to get changed. She returned to find her son still sitting, supported by a pillow in the play pen.

"We're lucky you don't like to orb," she teased the child. He pushed himself towards the edge of the pen and pulled himself shakily to his feet.

"Good job," she cooed and took his small hands in hers, helping him stand.

"Are you hungry?" she asked and picked him up. As she was trying to heat up a bowl of warm cereal, Henry Jr. kept squirming in her arms. She turned and saw he was reaching for her purse.

"What is it baby?" she asked as she picked up the object. He grabbed at the snap that fastened it shut. Her brow knit together in confusion. How could he know about Kyle? Slowly she opened it and pulled the napkin from within.

"You want to go see Kyle?" she asked and the child squawked happily.

"Ok, we will," she affirmed with a small smile. Maybe this was the excuse she'd been waiting for the last two months.

After they'd had an early lunch, she packed up the diaper bag with a couple diapers and toys and together they disappeared in orbs. When they rematerialized they were standing outside an apartment door. Paige looked around to make sure no one had seen her appear. She took in a deep breath and knocked. There was no response at first. She listened closely for footsteps but didn't hear any. Just as she was bout to knock again the lock on the inside released and the door was pulled open.

"Paige," Kyle stated, looking genuinely surprised.

"Hi," she greeted, looking a little embarrassed.

"This is going to sound really weird but my baby wanted to see you," she babbled.

"Come on in," Kyle offered, pulling the door open. She peered around as she crossed the threshold. It looked a lot like his old apartment did…a bachelor pad.

"Nice place," she muttered.

"It's not much but it suits me," he answered as she gazed at the child in her arms. He was smiling widely up at Kyle.

"So this must be Jr.," he greeted, tickling the child's stomach.

"Yeah. It was weird. I was making lunch and he kept reaching for my purse," she explained as he took some pillows off the couch and made a make-shift barricade for Henry Jr.

"I think Mommy wanted to come, too," Kyle breathed, laying a hand on her forearm.

"Maybe just a little," she answered, leaning into his chest slightly. She knew she shouldn't but she just couldn't help it. Kyle cleared his throat.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

"Water would be great," she answered and he disappeared in orbs. She half-expected him to return in that manner but he walked out of the kitchen with two glasses of water.

"So it's…been a couple months," he commented as they sipped their drinks and watched the baby occupy himself with a teething ring.

"I know…it's just been crazy lately…you know…charges and stuff," Paige mumbled.

"Paige…you don't have to explain. I understand. We have a past and…it's difficult to make that transition to just being friends again," Kyle murmured, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes.

"Yeah," she agreed, holding her tongue from what she really wanted to say.

Kyle looked at her and smiled that smile that made her melt. Even after all these years he still could make her swoon like a love-sick school girl. She averted her gaze and blushed. He let out a small laugh and set his glass down.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Paige?" he asked suddenly.

"Like what?" she countered.

"I don't know. I just get the feeling that you're not telling me something," he murmured.

"Nope. I'm not hiding anything. Just trying to…be friends," she answered slowly.

"Ok," he sighed and they turned their attention to the child at their feet.

Before they knew it, the entire afternoon had flown by and Paige's cell phone was ringing. She looked at it panic rushed through her. It was Henry.

"Hi," she greeted as calmly as she could.

"Where are you? I got home and you and the baby were gone," he asked.

"Oh…I had to go help a charge and left the baby with Phoebe. I'll be picking him up in a few minutes. So I'll see you at home," she said quickly and hung up.

"I have to go," she said and gathered her things and her son.

"Stop by any time," Kyle called.

"Even if it is just you," he breathed in her ear. She nodded and disappeared in orbs. He watched her disappear and sighed, running a hand through his hair.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Three weeks had gone by since Paige's surprise visit to Kyle's apartment and Paige was going crazy. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, dripping sweat. She couldn't fight the aching that was growing stronger in her by the day. That night she resolved to go see Kyle. But she would have to do something with the baby. She dumped him with Piper the last time. She could probably get Phoebe to take him. Once she'd put Henry Jr. down for a nap, she reached for the phone and dialed Phoebe's number at work.

"Phoebe Halliwell," Phoebe replied on the other end after it had rung twice.

"Hey, Pheebs," Paige greeted her older sister.

"Hi, Paige. Can you hang on one second, I have another call," Phoebe asked.

"No problem," Paige answered and listened while she was put on hold. She tapped her fingers on the counter before her while she waited. Finally after what felt like an agonizing time, Phoebe clicked back over.

"Sorry about that. What's up," Phoebe apologized.

"I was wondering if you could watch Henry Jr. tonight for me," Paige began.

"I think we can watch him, yeah," Phoebe answered after a brief pause.

"Awesome," Paige exclaimed happily. She would ask Phoebe her other favor when she dropped the baby off later on. Right now she had to prepare. She hopped in the shower and let the water sooth the muscles in her neck and shoulders. She climbed out and wrapped a towel around her body, leaving the bathroom in search of clothes in her closet. She decided on a mini skirt and slinky top.

"He's going to love it," she sighed as she tried it on. Miraculously the skirt still fit.

The rest of the afternoon passed in anxious monotony. She wanted to drop Henry Jr. off so she could go surprise Kyle. Finally five o'clock rolled around and she couldn't wait anymore. She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror as she grabbed her coat.

'Time to go visit Aunt Phoebe," she cooed the eight-month-old. Fifteen minutes later she was pulling into the driveway to Phoebe and Coop's apartment. She climbed carefully, not wanting to break a heel and carried her son up to the front door. She knocked and in seconds Phoebe was at the door.

"What are you all dressed up for?" Phoebe asked as her younger sister followed her in.

"No reason," Paige lied.

"Hey, Pheebs can I ask you one more favor?" Paige asked as she watched Phoebe settle Henry Jr. into the playpen with Rachel.

"What is it?"

"If Henry calls, can you tell him we're having a girl's night in?" Paige asked.

"Paige…what's going on?" Phoebe demanded.

"Please. It's really important," Paige begged, grabbing her sister's arm.

"You want me to lie to your husband for you?" Phoebe reiterated.

"What? We spend girl's night in together all the time. He won't think anything of it," Paige explained, growing anxious. She just wanted to leave.

"Alright, fine. If he calls I'll tell him that," Phoebe agreed after a long pause.

'Thanks!" Paige squealed and gave her sibling a quick hug before rushing out the front door. Phoebe just watched her baby sister leave and shook her head.

Paige nearly jumped through the door to get back into the car. She pulled her seatbelt on while backing out of the driveway and sped down the road. Her heart was beating like she'd just run a marathon in the dead of winter. She pulled up the apartment building and took several minutes to compose herself. After a brief breathing session and climbed out of the car and walked up the two flights of stairs and ended at his door. She smoothed her skirt and knocked. Kyle pulled the door open and let out a low whistle.

"What's the occasion?" he asked, leaning in the doorway.

"Well….you said I could stop by any time," she answered, flashing him a seductive smile.

"Yeah…I know I did. I didn't think you would show up dressed like that," he commented.

"You hungry?" Paige asked, changing the subject.

"I was just about to order a pizza but I'm guessing you don't want to get your outfit dirty with sauce stains," he murmured.

"I'll buy," she promised, dragging him out the door and back down to her car.

"Paige, where are we going?" he inquired as she pulled into a parking lot.

"Here," she answered. It had been their favorite dinner date place when they had been together.

"How sweet of you to remember," he murmured as they waited for a table.

"Please follow me," the hostess called to the pair and sat them in a booth in a corner.

"So how's Jr.?" Kyle asked as they looked over the menus.

"He's fine. Spending the night with Phoebe," Paige answered as she accepted the glass of wine the waiter had handed her. Shortly they ordered and were left in silence, contemplating their wine glasses.

"So…you look nice," Kyle complimented as he took a sip of wine.

"Thank you," she said, batting her lashes. Just then the waiter reappeared with their food. They grew silent as they ate and left without so much as dessert or coffee. Paige pulled into the parking lot and Kyle led her back up to the apartment. They stopped at the door and he turned to look at her. He couldn't discern if it was the alcohol or just the fact of what she was wearing but he couldn't help himself. He leaned down and kissed her swiftly on the lips.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Brody?" she teased.

"That's Agent Brody to you," he snickered as he unlocked the door. Wordlessly he pulled her into the apartment and pinned her against the door. Paige wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. He didn't fight her. Instead his hand caressed her thigh, slowly working his way up to the hem of her skirt. She broke free of the kiss and gazed at him.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she gasped.

"Right…you're absolutely right. You're married," he agreed, breathless. Before he could take his hand away from her leg, she pushed him down onto the couch and peppered kisses along his neck.

"Paige," Kyle rasped and she looked at him.

"What?" she asked, taking the opportunity to kiss his lips, sucking on the bottom lip a second more.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to take a full breath.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, fixing him with a glare.

"Not here…in there," he ordered and he wrapped his arms around her. The pair disappeared in orbs, reappearing in his bed. Somehow in the flurry of blue and white lights Kyle had managed to take off his shirt. Paige lay on top of him and she frantically pulled her shirt off, exposing her braless form. He let his hands wander over the familiar peaks and valleys as she leaned down to kiss him again.

"We really shouldn't be doing this," Kyle repeated as he felt Paige tugging on the zipper of his pants.

"I know," she answered and pushed the fabric down his legs. He couldn't fight it anymore. He orbed his boxers off and let his hand resume its position at the hem of her skirt.

"What are you waiting for?" she breathed in his ear, making him shiver with arousal.

He let his hand slip under the fabric and found she was not wearing underwear. God this woman came prepared. With a small smirk he let a finger graze her vagina. She let out a trembling breath at the touch.

"Kiss me," he begged as he let his hands wander around to her ass. She obeyed and let her tongue slip between their lips. By now Paige's hair had fallen from its graceful bun and was starting to stick to her with sweat. She could feel his hardened manhood pressing against her inner thigh as she kissed him. Oh Lord she wanted to feel satisfied by him. Kyle gave her buttocks a squeeze and she moaned loudly and shivered as he pulled the fabric away from her body.

"I want you," she whispered, sounding very primal and guttural.

"I love you," he rasped as he rolled her over and entered her in one fluid motion. She would have gasped in pain but something was different. It felt perfect, like he was supposed to be there, filling her. He moved in and out, slowly at first. She met each thrust in time and was soon filled with adrenaline and raging hormones.

They continued to make love until they both finally climaxed. They lay side by side breathing hard. Kyle rolled onto his side and kissed her cheek and worked his way back to her lips.

"I love you," she breathed as she curled up against him, still feeling the ends of his erection pressing against butt.

"I've missed you. I've missed feeling you by my side," he whispered as he wrapped an arm around her waist and laid a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"I just want to lay here, baby," she cooed and he gladly obliged her request. Around two in the morning Paige awoke to something pressing against her leg. She rolled over and was met by Kyle, staring at her.

"Honey…it's two in the morning," she whispered, realizing what had been pressing against her.

"I know…I just…can't stop thinking about how good you felt," he murmured.

"Really?" she asked. Henry never woke her up for early morning sex.

"Really," he affirmed and he pinned her to the bed and slid between her legs.

"Oh….oh God," Paige moaned as he filled her again and again with each movement. He rested his forehead on hers as he released inside her. She quivered around him and they both feel silent once more. The pair fell back to sleep only to be roused once more by the blaring noise.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Paige opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. She tried to wipe the sleep out of her mind to figure out what the noise was and where it was coming from. Kyle was sitting up too and looking around.

"What is that?" he mumbled, half asleep. Paige didn't answer right away. Finally the noise clicked in her groggy brain.

"It's my cell phone," Paige muttered and wrapped the sheet around her body to go in search of the device. She wandered into the living room and found her purse. She pulled the phone out and flipped it open.

"Hello?" she spoke, more awake.

"Paige," Phoebe's voice came from the other end, sounding irritated.

"Phoebe, what's going on? Is everything ok?" Paige asked.

"It's six in the morning and you're not here," Phoebe answered grumpily.

"So," Paige stated simply.

"Paige…you come by and drop Henry Jr. off and then you don't show back up to pick him up. What's going on," Phoebe demanded.

"Nothing's going on. I just…got caught up," Paige lied, biting her nail. By now Kyle had found her and was wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Did Henry call?" Paige asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. And I told him that you were here. He came and picked up the baby in case you wanted to know," Phoebe replied, sounding very resentful.

"Thanks sis. Look I have to go," Paige stated and hung up just as Kyle moved to kiss her neck.

Across town Phoebe stared at the phone as it went dead. She hung it up with a frustrated grunt and turned to pick up her coffee. Coop appeared, Rachel in his arms. He caught the look on his wife's face and took a step back.

"I'll leave you to your silent brooding," he stated and made to take their daughter back upstairs.

"No…it's just. Something's going on with Paige but she won't tell me what it is," Phoebe muttered, sitting down at the table.

"What do you mean?" her husband asked, sitting down next to her and repositioning the baby in his arms.

"Well…she dropped Henry Jr. off last night and never came back to pick him up. Henry had to do it…and she told me to lie to him about where she was," Phoebe explained.

"It's not like her to just dump her son off and not come back," Coop murmured, gazing down at his daughter as she grabbed onto his pinkie, sticking it in her mouth.

"I'm going to call Piper," Phoebe announced and grabbed the phone. She hit the speed dial number two and waited while the other end rang.

"Hello," Leo answered.

"Leo…is Piper there?" Phoebe inquired of her brother-in-law.

"She's out with Wyatt and Chris. Do you want me to leave her a message?" Leo replied.

"Uh…well maybe you can answer my question. Do you think Paige has been acting strange lately?" Phoebe questioned.

"Strange? No, why?" Leo answered.

"Well…she dropped Henry Jr. off yesterday afternoon and never showed up to pick him up," she explained.

"Well that's not like Paige," Leo murmured.

"Exactly. Has she…dumped him on you lately?" she pressed.

"Not lately, no. A few months ago she did drop him when she had a lunch date," Leo recalled.

"Lunch date? With who?"

"Kyle," Leo replied just as he heard the front door open and close.

"What? You mean…Kyle….killed by an Avatar Kyle?" Phoebe breathed, completely shocked. Why didn't she know about this?

"That's the one," Leo answered as he felt two sets of arms grab his legs.

"Look, I have to go but Piper's here," Leo informed his sister-in-law and handed over the phone.

"Phoebe," Leo whispered in Piper's ear as his sons dragged him out of the room.

"Hi Pheebs," Piper greeted.

"Why didn't you tell me that Paige had lunch with Kyle," Phoebe immediately accused.

"What? Phoebe that was like three months ago" Piper defended herself.

"Still…you could have told me," Phoebe muttered.

"What's this about?" Piper demanded.

"Well…I think something is going on with Paige. She dropped Henry Jr. off yesterday and didn't pick him up," Phoebe explained for the third time that morning.

Before Piper had the chance to speak Phoebe's phone beeped, signaling she had another call.

"Hang on, I have another call," Phoebe mumbled and switched to the second line.

"Hello?" she stated.

"Phoebe, it's Henry. Do you know when Paige is coming home?" Henry asked.

"I don't know, honey. I'm sorry," Phoebe answered.

"Alright. Well just when she wakes up, tell her I called," Henry instructed and hung up.

"Piper, that was Henry. We need to find Paige," Phoebe stated firmly.

"Alright, why don't I call her and find out where she is," Piper suggested and with her sister's approval she hung up and dialed Paige's cell phone number.

Back in Kyle's apartment they were seating on the couch, partially dressed. They were busily exploring the contours and terrain of each other's mouths when Paige's phone rang again. She groaned and sat up. She picked it up and answered.

"What?" she spat in annoyance.

"This is your sister calling. Paige, where the hell are you," Piper demanded.

"I'm busy," Paige answered shortly and made to close the phone when she heard Phoebe's voice in the background.

"Look…fine I'll be there in a minute," she added and closed the phone.

"I have to go," she sighed and kissed Kyle once more.

"Alright, I'll see you later," he purred in her ear as she pulled on her boots and grabbed her coat.

"I love you," she called as she disappeared in orbs. She reappeared in the attic to find two very pissed off looking sisters.

"Nice outfit," Piper commented darkly.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Paige shot back.

"Sit," Phoebe ordered.

"I'm sorry I didn't show up to pick up the baby, ok. It won't happen again," Paige stated, assuming that was what Phoebe wanted to talk to her about.

"Are you seeing Kyle?" Phoebe spat out.

"Excuse me?" Paige snapped, looking taken aback.

"Are you?" Piper pressured.

"What are you talking about? We had coffee a few months ago…so what. Friends can have coffee," Paige defended.

"We scried for you when Piper called you. You were at his apartment," Phoebe accused.

"So what, we're not allowed to spend time together?" Paige spat, standing up.

"There's something going on, Paige. So spill it," Piper demanded, looking like she was ready to blow something up.

"Nothing is going on," Paige answered crossly.

"Then why are you dressed like that?" Piper queried.

"None of your business," Paige answered and disappeared in orbs.

"I hate when she does that," Phoebe railed.

"Phoebe…" Piper trailed off.

"What?"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Piper asked.

"I don't know. What are you thinking?"

"It's seven fifteen. When you called she sounded asleep right?" Piper began and Phoebe nodded.

"It makes sense why she would be at his apartment," she continued.

"Piper…are you saying what I think you're saying? You think our baby sister is having an affair?" Phoebe questioned, aghast.

"Yes," Piper answered somberly.

'But Paige wouldn't do that," Phoebe protested.

"Pheebs…she loved him. She was devastated when the Elders took him away…now he shows up and they're only just friends? I don't think so," Piper explained.

"I just don't like it," Phoebe muttered and started to walk away.

'We need to tell Henry," Piper stated firmly.

"No, Piper. We don't. We aren't even sure anything is going on. And until we catch them in the act or I get a premonition about them, we aren't going to do anything," Phoebe answered just as firmly.

"Fine, but we're only helping her hurt him," Piper grumbled as they descended to the kitchen.

"Everything, ok?" Leo asked and Piper just shook her head as Phoebe headed fro the front door. Once Phoebe had left, Leo wrapped his arms around Piper.

"You know you can tell me what's going on," he breathed.

"I know…it's just…I think I've figured out what's going on…but…it could hurt a lot of people…more than it already is," she explained and buried her head in his shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll do the right thing when the time comes," he assured her and she nodded against his chest.

Paige reappeared in the bathroom and hopped in the shower. She emerged some ten minutes later to find her husband sitting on the bed, rocking the baby in his arms.

"I didn't hear you come in," he commented without looking up from the slumbering child in his arms.

"I orbed in," she answered and moved about the room gathering clothes.

"So must have been some night last night," he commented after a minute.

"What?" she asked, standing up straight.

"Well you girls must have had a great time because Phoebe said you were out cold when I came to pick up the baby," he explained.

"Yeah…I was pretty tired," she answered and pulled her shirt over her head. She made a mad dash for the bathroom to dry her hair. God that had been a close call.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Paige ducked behind a dumpster, pulling her charge with her just as fireball collided with the wall above their heads. Paige let out a huff as she stepped into view. The demon gave her a grin as he sent another fireball straight at her.

"Fireball," she called and sent it flying back at him, demolishing him in flames. Her charge slowly crept out from behind the dumpster and gave Paige a smile.

"Thank you," the young girl said, sounding grateful. Before Paige could respond, pounding footsteps were heard and a young man came bounding towards them. Paige moved out of the way just in time for him to scoop her charge up.

"Thank God you're alright," he sighed into the girl's hair.

"You too," she murmured. Just then there was a jingle and Kyle appeared.

"Man, I'm out of shape," he gasped. Paige smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his.

"I thought you were an FBI agent in another life," she teased and he just stuck his tongue out at her.

"Well you two better get going before any other demons decide to make you their next target," Kyle suggested. Before the pair could leave there was a voice shouting from the end of the alley.

"Freeze," a very familiar voice called as footsteps moved closer. Paige turned around to see Henry moving towards them, gun drawn. Her heart began to beat in panic as he stopped. He pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt and shoved Kyle's charge up against the dumpster.

"Hey get off of him," Kyle protested.

"Who the hell are you?" Henry shot back, his gaze just now landing on Paige.

"What are you doing here, Paige?" he addressed her.

"I was saving a charge's life," she answered with a shrug.

"Well are you going to tell me why you are arresting my charge?" Kyle hissed, his hands balling into fists.

"Your charge?" Henry asked, looking skeptically at the other man.

"Yeah, he's a witch. And as far as I know, he's done nothing wrong," Kyle retorted heatedly.

"Look man. I didn't break parole. I swear I didn't. Some demon was chasing my girlfriend and I was trying to find her," the young man explained.

"Do you know him?" Henry asked Paige.

"He's just a friend…a fellow whitelighter," Paige replied. It had worked for Natalie when she had helped the girls the year that Prue died.

"You guys actually talk to other…of you?" Henry asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah. What, did you think Leo just disappeared into oblivion whenever he orbed out?" she shot back at him.

"Are you going to arrest him?" the young man's girlfriend asked; worry lines starting to ingrain themselves in her forehead. Henry sighed and put the cuffs back on his belt.

"Not today," he muttered and turned to leave.

"I'll see you at home," he murmured to Paige, kissing her on the lips as he walked away.

"Could you drop us off?" the girl asked of Kyle. He nodded and disappeared in blue and white. He reappeared minutes later to find Paige staring at the spot where Henry had last been.

"You alright, Paige?" Kyle murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh? Yeah," she whispered.

"You don't seem ok," he commented, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"I just haven't been feeling very well the last few days, that's all," she answered as they began to walk out of the alley, hand in hand. They ended up at the same café they had met up at all those months ago.

"Do you want to see a movie tonight?" Kyle questioned as the waitress brought them their drinks.

"Sure," Paige muttered with a nod. She just wanted to spend time with him. It was what she really needed.

"We don't have to. It was just a suggestion," her boyfriend mumbled.

"No…I do, really," Paige stated hurriedly, grabbing his hand in hers.

"I guess I was just a little freaked out that Henry showed up," Paige admitted.

"He doesn't know," Kyle reminded her.

"I know," she breathed, downing her coffee quickly. Just as she was setting her cup down her brow wrinkled.

"I have to go. A charge of mine in France needs me," she muttered and they both stood. He tossed some cash on the table and escorted her to a more secluded area where she could orb safely.

"I'll see you tonight," she teased, kissing him.

Across town Henry pulled up to the Manor. He cut the ignition and climbed out, taking the steps two at a time until he was at the front door. He knocked a couple times before the front door was pulled open by Piper.

"Henry," she stated, as if she didn't recognize him at first.

"Good, you're home," he said, sounding relieved. She showed him in and they were soon met by Phoebe in the sun room.

"What's up?" Phoebe asked once all three were seated.

"I need to talk to you two," Henry began, his hands drumming on his knees. Piper gave him a look to continue.

"Well…I was wondering if you know a guy named Kyle," Henry began. Phoebe paled and Piper felt her heart skip a beat.

"Sort of," Phoebe answered, not meeting her brother-in-law's gaze.

"What does that mean, sort of?" Henry pressed, leaning forward.

"He was…an FBI agent," Piper interjected before Phoebe could get a word in edgewise.

"Was? What was he kicked out?" Henry asked, trying not to laugh.

"No…Kyle was killed…helping us," Piper answered solemnly.

"Oh," Henry muttered.

"Yeah…it was a few years ago. We were dealing with the Avatars. They wanted to remake the world, get rid of good and evil and he tried to stop them," Phoebe elaborated.

"So Paige knew him," Henry asked, his brow raised.

"You could say that," Phoebe muttered, fighting very hard not to spill to him that Kyle and Paige had been quite serious.

"Why are you asking?" Piper directed the conversation.

"I was chasing one of my parolees and I find him in an alley and Paige was there…with this Kyle guy. She said he was a friend of hers…a whitelighter," Henry explained.

"Yeah, the Elders recognized all the good he'd done in his life and made him a whitelighter. But…" Phoebe trailed off.

"But what?" Henry inquired, looking like he was ready to leap from the chair.

"They kind of kept him from seeing Paige," Phoebe muttered.

"So then why is he seeing her?" Henry demanded.

"I…I don't know," Piper interjected. She knew that Henry needed to know what Paige was doing. It wasn't right to keep it from him. But if they told him and he found out they'd been lying to him, he'd be furious.

"You'll have to excuse me. I need to go have a talk with my wife," Henry stated abruptly and got up. He showed himself out, leaving Phoebe and Piper looking at each other.

"You think he figured it out?" Phoebe asked, sounding nervous.

"I think so…I hope so. It's just not right," Piper sighed.

Back across town, Paige was putting Henry Jr. down for a nap when her stomach started to churn. She hurriedly secured the side of the crib and rushed to the bathroom. She made it just in time to regurgitate that morning's breakfast. She brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth to get the disgusting taste from her mouth. It was the third day in a row and an idea was starting to creep into her head. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pulled the small container from the medicine cabinet and opened it. Five minutes later she was staring at it. It was positive. She carried it to the kitchen and dialed Kyle's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello," he answered.

"Kyle," Paige croaked out.

"Paige…what is it…are you ok?" Kyle asked, panic rising in his voice.

"I just…took a test…and…it's positive," Paige told him as calmly as he could.

"Wait…did you just tell me that you're pregnant?" he asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah…" Paige trailed off.

"And you're calling me because….oh god….it's mine isn't it," Kyle gasped.

"I think so…I mean Henry and I haven't slept together in a while," Paige explained. She didn't hear the front door open and close or the heavy footsteps that stopped in the doorway.

"Yes…I'll go tomorrow…but I don't know what to do," Paige continued, responding to a comment Kyle had made.

"Paige," Henry called, making her spin around. The test fell from her fingers, hitting the floor with a 'clack'. She would have dropped the phone too but she steadied herself in time.

"Henry," she stated a little too loudly.

"Who's on the phone?" Henry asked, reaching out to grab the cordless phone. Paige just stood there as he took it.

"Don't ever call my wife again," Henry growled and ended the call.

"What the hell is going on, Paige?" he asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing," Paige lied.

"Don't lie to me. You're sleeping with him, aren't you," Henry accused.

"I…what are you talking about?" Paige asked, her voice weak. Henry bent down and picked up the test.

"You're pregnant and the last I checked, we hadn't slept together in about three months," Henry hissed.

"Give me that," Paige snapped and took the test back and started to walk out of the room but he blocked her way.

"How long has it been going on?" Henry demanded of her. She didn't respond. She merely disappeared in blue and white. He didn't hear any doors shut upstairs. He sunk into a kitchen chair, his head in his hands. What had happened? Where had they gone wrong?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Blue and white lights flurried into the room and deposited a distraught looking Paige. Kyle heard the noise and jogged into the room just in time to catch her as her knees buckled beneath her.

"I got you," he murmured and led her to the couch. She was still clutching the pregnancy test. She couldn't look at him as he pried the object from her hands. He set it on the side table and quickly pulled her to him.

"Shh," he consoled, rubbing her back.

"Why did he do that?" she sobbed.

"Paige…" Kyle trailed off.

"He can't tell you never to call me. It's my phone too," she spat childishly.

"Honey, look at me," Kyle ordered gently. She turned her watery gaze to him.

"He was bound to find out sooner or later. We couldn't keep it a secret forever," he whispered, kissing her eyelids.

She kept silent, her gaze darting between the test that sat next to her and the man she loved. She did love him, right? Of course she loved him. Kyle began to stroke her dark hair and she slowly began to calm down a little bit. Once her breathing was under control, a light went off in her eyes.

"Kyle…" she rasped.

"What is it?" he asked, placing his hand atop hers.

"I…I'm a horrible person," she blurted.

"No, no you're not. You're beautiful, and kind and the love of my life," he countered, peppering sweet kisses on her neck.

"But…I cheated on my husband. I'm married and…oh my God we had an affair," she gasped, the gravity of the situation just now hitting her, like a ton of bricks.

"I…I know we did, Paige. And that is my fault. I never should have contacted you through the website," Kyle stated.

"It's not your fault. I should have realized what I was doing…but…it was like I was in a totally different world," Paige mumbled.

"We're both to blame for this. But you know….we can make this work," Kyle assured her.

"How?" Paige questioned skeptically.

"Well…we need to make sure that you really are pregnant," he began.

"How will that help?" Paige sniffled.

"Well…if you're not then…we can…stop seeing each other," Kyle mumbled into his sleeve.

"I couldn't do that. I don't think I could handle losing you again," she denied.

"We have to make this right," Kyle protested.

"It would have all been fine if the Elders had let you stay. Damn it…Kyle I love you…I've always loved you and I always will. I can't help that," Paige admitted.

"I love you too, Paige. But you are married. What we did was wrong," he continued, trying to make her see the severity of what they had done.

"I…I don't care," she spat, pulling her legs to her chest.

"Paige, listen to yourself! You sound like a spoiled three-year-old," Kyle shouted, standing up.

"We're going to see if we really have anything to worry about," he stated firmly.

"I'm sorry…I just…I don't know what to do," she muttered, standing up too and he took her by the hand. They orbed to a free clinic and took the only two vacant seats in the small waiting room.

"Paige Matthews," the nurse called out. Paige looked around for a moment before she realized the nurse had called her name. Kyle took her hand and they followed the nurse. Once the brief formalities were exchanged, the nurse handed Paige a cup and pointed in the direction of the ladies' room. With a groan she trudged down the hall, disappearing behind the wooden door. She reemerged several minutes later and joined Kyle in the small examination room. It seemed like years before the nurse came back into the room, a smile on her face.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant," the nurse stated jovially. Paige just buried her head in her hands. The nurse looked at Paige in concern but Kyle held up his hand.

"She'll be fine…hormones and all," he lied as he led out of the room. Once they were in the privacy of Kyle's apartment once more, Paige rounded on him.

"Have any more bright ideas that won't work?" she snapped at him.

"Well…we could always try and talk to Henry," Kyle suggested and was met with a scathing glare.

"Or not," he muttered.

"You know…I don't even know why I married him. I guess…he was the next best thing to having you back," she murmured as she began to pace.

"I wouldn't tell him that. And Paige…I really think we should try and talk to him," Kyle repeated.

"Well I don't. He carries a gun," Paige protested.

"So do I," Kyle retorted.

"No…Kyle you did carry one. You're technically dead," Paige corrected him.

"Then that makes you a necrophiliac," Kyle teased.

"Ew," Paige said with a squirm.

Before either could say another word there was a sharp knock on the door. Slowly Kyle moved to open the door. Before him stood Henry, looking very livid beneath a falsely calm exterior.

"I need to speak with Paige," Henry stated as evenly as he could. Paige heard his voice and took a couple steps towards the door, making sure to stay behind Kyle.

"Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of me," Kyle commented, having no intention of moving. Henry didn't reply, just held out a fold packet of paper. Paige reached out and tentatively took it from him.

"What's this?" she asked, her voice scratchy.

"Divorce papers," Henry replied and turned to leave. Paige attempted to go after her husband but Kyle held her fast. He shut the door and once more ushered her back to the couch.

"This isn't happening," Paige denied as she should her head repeatedly.

"Just take a deep breath," Kyle coached as he took the papers from her shaking hands. He opened them and scanned them.

"He's got a court date set for about three months from now. I think you should talk to your sisters about this," he suggested.

"Yeah….can you come with me?" she asked, sounding very timid. Kyle nodded and they stood up. The pair disappeared in orbs, reappearing in the foyer of the Manor. Paige looked around and got a very uneasy feeling. She slowly wandered into the sun room to find Phoebe and Piper reading the newspaper. Paige cleared her throat and Phoebe was the first to look up. She had the nudge Piper in the arm to get her attention. Piper looked up and had to hold onto the paper to keep from blowing something up.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked, sounding annoyed.

"I…I need some help," Paige began.

"I'd say you do…and what's with bringing him here?" Phoebe remarked.

"What are you talking about?" Paige asked.

"Paige…you slept with another man," Piper scolded.

"Yeah…I already know that part, Piper. I lived it," Paige snapped.

"And therein lies the problem," Phoebe muttered.

"Look…Henry…is filing for divorce," Paige explained, expecting her sisters to rush to her side.

"And I'm pregnant," she added. Instead of sympathy she received stares.

"Honestly, Paige…I'm not really surprised," Phoebe admitted.

"How can you say that?" Paige shot at her older sister.

:"Paige…Henry's not the only one you hurt in this. You used us to lie to him. You can't really expect us to be sympathetic," Piper commented.

"You're my sisters. You're supposed to be there for me," Paige accused.

"Well you can't just us like that Paige," Phoebe countered.

"I think you need to leave," Piper stated, the tone of her voice was final. This conversation was over.

Paige's mouth hung open as Kyle took her hand and they disappeared in orbs. Just after they disappeared Leo walked in, pulling his coat off. His gaze shifted between the two remaining sisters and he could tell something was wrong.

"What's going on?" he asked, sounding slightly clueless to the situation.

"Well…you know how a while ago I told you we thought Paige was up to something," Piper began and Leo nodded.

"Well…she was having an affair with Kyle…and she's pregnant," Phoebe continued.

"What?" Leo asked, looking stunned.

"And she expects us to help her when she used us. Henry is filing for divorce and I don't think it is such a bad idea," Piper added.

"Paige is your sister," Leo protested.

"Who's side are you on," Piper snapped.

"I'm not trying to take sides, Piper. I'm just trying to assess the situation from both sides," he answered. Leo just shook his head and walked out of the room in search of his sons. He had a feeling he needed to spend some time with them.

Three months had slowly dragged by and Paige had moved in with Kyle and was starting to show. She was applying makeup to her lower eyelids when Kyle knocked on the doorframe before entering.

"You ready?" he asked, knowing that there was no good answer to that question, not in this situation.

"As I'll ever be," she sighed, trying not to cry and ruin her mascara.

Together they headed down the stairs and climbed into Paige's car. They didn't want to risk being seen orbing. Kyle navigated the San Francisco streets with ease until they arrived at the court house. They saw Henry walking into the building followed by Piper and Phoebe. Paige had to swallow several times to get herself under control. She hadn't spoken one word to her sisters in the past three months. With a sigh the pair climbed out and followed the steps up the front of the building until they were ushered into the courtroom. Paige took her place, not looking at the occupants on the other side of the room. Kyle squeezed her hand gently as the judge walked in.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Be seated," the bailiff announced in a gruff voice. The five individuals took their seats and the judge opened a folder that sat before her. After flipping through the pages a couple times she looked up and indicated for Paige and Henry to stand up.

"Mr. Mitchell, please explain to me why you are filing under irreconcilable differences," the judge asked.

"Your Honor, my wife had an affair for nearly four months," Henry began.

"Is this true, Mrs. Mitchell?" the judge addressed Paige.

"Yes, Your Honor," Paige answered, trying to keep her voice steady and even.

"Additionally, Your Honor, she is having his child," Henry added. Paige could feel the venom in his tone. The judge looked to Paige once more for confirmation. Paige nodded.

"Mr. Mitchell is there anything else?" she asked and Henry shook his head in the negative.

"Let's hear your side of this, Mrs. Mitchell," the judge turned her attention to Paige.

"Your Honor, I did have an affair and I am pregnant but not once did my husband try to reconcile. The day he found out he immediately started the paperwork for a divorce," Paige explained.

"Oh come on. You would have said anything to protect your little sex toy," Henry spat.

"You wouldn't give me two minutes to explain," Paige shot back.

"I didn't have to. You were always a horrible liar," Henry countered.

"Order," the judge shouted, slamming the gavel down on the desk.

"Keep the editorial comments out of my courtroom," she added tersely.

"I'm afraid that you did not attempt to reconcile Mr. Mitchell and that you cannot file for divorce under this reason. I move for this hearing to be dismissed until such time you provide a valid reason for a divorce," the judge explained after a few minutes of reviewing the fact and the testimony.

"Your Honor….we could never reconcile. She's a cheating bitch," Henry interjected, trying to salvage the situation.

"Another outburst like that Mr. Mitchell and I will find you in contempt of this court," the judge hissed. Paige tentatively raised her hand to get the judge's attention.

"Yes, Mrs. Mitchell," the judge asked, sounding slightly frustrated.

"I actually agree with my husband. Even if he had tried we wouldn't have been able to reconcile," Paige stated. The judge sighed but nodded her head.

"Alright, fine," she muttered, signing a paper.

"Come back in two weeks for allocation of alimony and child support," she ordered and then dismissed the court.

The two parties began to gather their things. Kyle helped Paige with her coat and they began to walk down the center isle when Kyle caught a glint in Piper's eye. She shivered but continued on his way, his hand placed on Paige's back to keep her moving.

"I can't believe she agreed," Henry muttered as he and Piper and Phoebe followed the pair out.

"Well…from personal experience, divorce is kind of rough," Phoebe offered.

"I can't believe he was with her," Piper muttered.

"At least he didn't say anything. Though I would have liked to see his ass found in contempt," Henry spat.

"I need to head over to my attorney's office," Henry informed the two sisters once they got outside. Paige and Kyle were nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, well you know where to find us," Phoebe stated and dragged Piper along towards her car.

Across town Paige and Kyle were seated in her attorney's office, waiting for him to finish in a meeting. His secretary gave them a smile as she approached them.

"He'll see you now," she informed them and led them back to his office. The pair took seats and the young attorney smiled at them.

"How'd it go today?' he asked of Paige.

"The judge signed the papers. We have another court date in two weeks to handle alimony and child support," she answered, sounding glum.

"Alright well we have our case. I'm sure your ex has his too. So we'll just hope for the best," the attorney stated as he leaned back in his chair. Kyle checked his watch and nearly jumped. They were going to be late for an ultrasound.

"Honey, we have to go. We're going to miss the doctor's appointment," he muttered in her ear.

"Go on. I'll see you in two weeks," their attorney called as they rushed out of the office.

An hour later Paige and Kyle were walking out of the doctor's office, holding a printed ultrasound. The baby was growing well and the doctor thought that it might be a girl. That made Paige happy. She'd always wanted a daughter.

"I just want you to know that whatever happens I'm going to be there for you," he murmured against her cheek as they pulled into a parking space outside the apartment building.

"I know…I just can't believe how mean he was," she sighed as they walked inside.

"Don't get too upset. It's going to be fine. You're not married to him anymore," Kyle reminded her. Paige nodded and the pair curled up on the couch.

At the Manor, Piper was cleaning up the lunch dishes while Wyatt and Chris headed into the sun room to watch TV. Leo passed them and walked up behind Piper. He snuck a kiss against her neck before she turned around.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"The judge signed the papers. I couldn't tell who was more relieved, me or Henry," she answered.

"Did you talk to her?" her husband inquired as she dried her hands.

"No," Piper replied and started to wipe down the table.

"Piper, how much longer is this going to go on?" Leo asked in exasperation. They were lucky evil was leaving them alone. They would be sitting ducks right now with all of the cold shouldering going on.

"I don't know, Leo. Until I feel like I can trust her again," his wife answered and walked out of the room. Leo just shook his head. He had to fix this. Even if he wasn't their whitelighter anymore, he had to make this right.

Two weeks passed quickly for both parties and they soon found themselves back in front of the judge.

"Counselor, I do not see why your client is seeking alimony. He is self sufficient with enough income to support his infant son," the judge addressed Henry's lawyer. The lawyer bent over and whispered in Henry's ear. Henry nodded and turned once more to face the judge.

"You Honor, we are willing to drop seeking alimony if we can move on to the issue of child support," Henry addressed the judge. She nodded.

"I'm sure as you know, small children are very expensive," Henry's legal counsel began.

"My client who works a nine-to-five job will have to hire a full time day care provider for his son. We are asking that his ex-wife pay him a total sum of three hundred dollar a week," his concluded.

"Your Honor, my client was a stay at home mother. She cannot afford to pay her former spouse that much," Paige's lawyer shot.

"Well then I suggest your client get a job," the judge answered and slammed her gavel down.

"Child support in the amount of three hundred dollars a week is to be paid by the defendant," she stated.

"Your Honor, my client would like to request sole custody of their son," Henry's lawyer continued.

"That is unfair to my client. She is still the child's mother," Paige attorney countered.

"Mr. Mitchell, explain yourself," the judge demanded.

"Your Honor, during the time in which she was having her affair, she would leave our son with her sisters. She would forget to pick him up. She neglected him. She didn't care. All she was worried about was when she could see her boyfriend again," Henry explained.

"Do you have witnesses to testify to these facts?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor. My sisters-in-law," Henry answered and Piper and Phoebe stood up.

They were quickly sworn in and gave their stories, both corroborating Henry's accusation. The judge retired to her chambers to make her final decision. The room was tense, neither party looking at the other. Paige was doing her best not to cry. When the judge finally returned, she looked grim.

"I have reviewed the accusation and testimony and I find that Ms. Matthews is not fit to have custody of her son. Sole custody is awarded to Mr. Mitchell," she announced. Paige nearly fell over.

"Your Honor. Does my client get any visitation?" her lawyer asked.

"For the time being, no. We will assess the situation in nine months time," the judge replied and adjourned the meeting. By now Paige was sobbing. Both Kyle and her attorney were doing their best to console her but it wasn't doing any good. As quickly as they could, they ushered her out of the room. Kyle caught Henry's gaze and glared at him.

Henry shook his lawyer's hand and he and the girls left. He saw Kyle leaning against a phone booth. Paige was nowhere to be seen. As Henry walked by, Kyle grabbed him and disappeared in orbs. Piper and Phoebe stared in show. Thankfully Henry's attorney wasn't there to see what happened.

"We have to find them," Phoebe said, panic rising in her voice. Piper nodded and they began to search for where Kyle would have gone. They finally found the two in an alley.

"You son-of-a-bitch," Kyle snarled through clenched teeth. He took a swing at Henry and connected with his nose.

"You had no right to hurt her," he continued, punches raining down like hail stones. Henry finally managed to push Kyle away from him. He wiped a trickle of blood from his nose.

"She didn't want him. She got what she deserved," Henry spat, advancing on Kyle until the whitelighter was up against a wall.

"No…you're just a greedy asshole hell bent on ruining her life. You know she can't pay you that much," Kyle hissed, ducking just in time to avoid getting hit.

"You think I care? Now she knows how much it hurt to find out my wife, the woman I loved, was sleeping with someone else," Henry hissed right back. Before Kyle could speak, Henry pulled his gun from his belt, leveling it at Kyle's chest.

"And now she's going to really know what it feels like," he spat and fired. Kyle managed to orb out just in time. Piper and Phoebe stared in shock at what Henry had done. He turned around to see them.

"Not a word to anybody," he ordered them, looking like he would turn on them if they didn't agree.

Kyle rematerialized in the apartment. Paige was curled up on the couch, the box of tissues from the bathroom clutched tightly in her hands. She looked up to see him looking sweaty.

"Where did you go?" she asked through a very loud sniffle.

"I had to take care of something. But everything's ok now," he promised, kissing her forehead.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Four months had passed since Paige and Henry's divorce. The two factions of the family had continued to stay separate. Paige was now seven months pregnant and was working a waitressing job just to pay child support. Kyle had also had to get a job to pay the rent on their apartment. She was seated in one of the empty booths in the restaurant, exhausted. She'd been working double shifts so they would have some extra cash for when the baby came. Leanne, one of Paige's coworkers spotted her and joined her.

"Honey, you shouldn't be working so much. It's going to put stress on the little one," Leanne commented.

"I know….but I can't afford time off. If I don't pay child support on time, my ex flips out and threatens to haul me into court," Paige explained.

"How much he tapping you for?" her coworker questioned.

"Three hundred a week," Paige muttered.

"Are you kidding me? Honey, that man ain't right in the head," Leanne exclaimed.

"I know…I just…I haven't talked to my sisters in seven months. I understand that what I did hurt them but they've never held a grudge this long," Paige groaned just as the manager spotted them and gave them a look to get back to work.

"Well here, take this," Leanne instructed, shoving a wad of cash into Paige's pocket.

"Leanne, I can't take this. I'm fine. We're getting by," Paige countered, handing the money back.

"You need it more than I do," Leanne replied and pressed it back into Paige's hand. Paige sighed and tucked it in her pocket, getting back to work.

Across town, Coop and Leo were heading for Leo's car. They'd managed to get out of child care duty for the day and were going to spend some much needed brother-in-law time.

"Where should we go?" Coop asked. Leo thought for a minute. He'd managed to get Kyle to tell him where Paige was working.

"I have an idea. Just trust me," Leo answered and they disappeared down the road.

The pair arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes later and quickly secured a table. Coop looked around but didn't see what was so special about this place.

"So what are we doing here?" Coop asked her brother-in-law.

"Looking for Paige," Leo responded but he didn't see her.

"You know Piper and Phoebe would kill us if they found out," Coop remarked.

"That's why we're not going to tell them. You know as well as I do that they need to reconcile their differences. Ultimate Battle behind them or not, they're still the Charmed Ones and they still have a duty to protect the innocent," Leo said, sounding rather like a preacher.

"I agree," Coop stated with a nod.

"I haven't seen she and Kyle together but I get the feeling that her heart always belonged to him," he added.

"They were pretty close," Leo affirmed.

"They just don't realize how lucky they are that evil hasn't attacked them. They would be sitting ducks otherwise," Coop sighed.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?" Leanne asked, interrupting their conversation.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee," Coop replied.

"Make that two," Leo added and Leanne nodded, leaving them to their conversation once more.

"We need to talk to Paige and Kyle," Leo posited.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean they could just kick us out," Coop replied.

'Well we won't know if we don't try. And I for one am getting very tired of having to ignore them simply because its what Piper and Phoebe are doing," Leo spat, sounding very resentful.

"Here you go," Leanne interrupted again, setting down the two coffee cups.

"Thank you," Leo thanked her and she disappeared again. Paige was sitting down again and Leanne stopped by.

"You feeling ok?" she asked.

"Yeah…I just got a little light headed," Paige sighed. She looked up and caught sight of her brothers-in-law.

"Are you serving that table?" Paige asked suddenly.

"Yeah. They seem…close," Leanne muttered. Paige cringed at the obvious connation in her friend's voice.

"Yeah…but not like that," Paige assured her.

"You know them?"

"Yeah…um…they're my brothers-in-law," Paige mumbled.

"Really? Do you want to take over?" Leanne questioned.

"No. That's ok," Paige answered and headed towards the back to put her apron back on.

Leo looked over to find Leanne talking to Paige. He had to keep himself from going over and talking to her. This wasn't the place for the conversation they needed to have and he knew that. His gaze followed his sister-in-law as she moved out of view.

"You alright, Leo?" Coop asked, drawing the other man back to the table.

"Yeah," Leo replied downing his coffee. He waved to Leanne and she meandered over as quickly as she could.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"No thank you. Just the check," Coop answered. Leanne turned to go but Leo caught her by the wrist.

"One more thing. How long as she been on shift?" Leo asked, seeing Paige remerge from the back.

"I think she got in around seven this morning. Other than a lunch break, the poor girl's been working all day. I tried to convince her to go home but when she sets her mind to something she don't let it go," Leanne answered, sounding very sympathetic for her coworker.

"Thank you," Leo murmured and Leanne go so she could retrieve their check. She returned shortly and Leo tossed a twenty on the table and he and Coop left, not making eye contact with Paige.

"We need to get here out of there. It's not healthy for the baby," Coop commented as they drove off.

"Why don't we talk to Kyle first? She might listen to him," Leo suggested. Coop nodded and Leo reversed the car so they were heading towards the pair's apartment. What he wouldn't give at that moment to be able to orb.

They pulled into a parking space and both men sprinted up the stairs and found the apartment. Leo took a deep breath and knocked several times. At first there was no answer but just as he was about to knock again, the door was pulled open by a very tired looking Kyle.

"What are you doing here?" Kyle asked, his voice gruff from sleep.

"We wanted to talk to you," Coop answered. Kyle ran a hand through his hair but let them in. Leo shut the door and looked around. The place was a bit of a mess. Ok, 'a bit' was a massive understatement.

"Sorry it's kind of a mess. Just haven't had much time to clean up," Kyle mumbled as he cleared two spots on the couch.

"You look exhausted," Coop murmured.

"Yeah, well you would be too if you were working sixteen hour days just to pay the rent," Kyle grumbled.

"We saw Paige," Leo interjected.

"You didn't say anything to her did you?" Kyle snapped.

"No. But we think you need to. She's seven months pregnant. She shouldn't be working long hours," Leo explained.

"Well how else are we supposed to pay off her psychotic ex?" Kyle spat.

"I don't know. I mean that's an insane amount of money…especially for a month. If you want….I can loan you some," Leo offered.

"No. We don't need your help, Leo. Thank you but we don't need more debt," Kyle rejected. Just then the front door opened and closed and the three men turned to see a tired looking Paige.

"You're home early," Kyle commented, standing up.

"Leanne wouldn't stop bugging me until I went—" Paige began but caught sight of Leo and Coop.

"What are you doing here?" she shot.

e

"We are just worried about you, Paige," Coop assured her.

"Somehow I don't believe that," she muttered as Kyle helped her with her coat. She'd pretty much accepted the fact that her sisters were never going to talk to her again. So why should her brothers-in-law be any different.

"Paige, we want to help you," Leo protested, standing up.

"We understand what you are going through is difficult and we know that you needed someone to be there on your side and there wasn't anyone. But we're here," he reminded her.

"Thanks, Leo. But it doesn't change the fact that my sisters hate me," Paige sighed as she lowered herself into the spot where Leo had been sitting.

"Paige, they don't hate you. They were just hurt by how you put them in the middle of the situation. Let us talk to them. I'm sure we can show them reason," Leo begged.

"And if it makes you feel any better, I can tell that you two are soul mates," Coop whispered in her ear.

"Thanks," she murmured and gave him a firm hug.

"You really think you can bring them around. I cared about those girls when I was alive and I don't want to lose them now. I fought to save the girls, just like you two did. Please, make them understand that," Kyle informed the two men.

"We will do everything that we can," Coop assured him before standing up. With that, he and Leo disappeared, leaving Paige and Kyle alone.

"You really think they can work this out?" Kyle asked softly.

"I hope so. I mean, we are putting our trust in a former whitelighter and a cupid," Paige answered, resting her head on the back of the couch. How had life gotten so screwed up?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Piper, sit down," Leo ordered, arms crossed over his chest. Piper rounded on him and had to keep from blowing him up. How dare he just come in here and demand a family meeting. That was her job.

"Damn it, Piper. Just sit down," he spat, growing irritated. She finally sat down just as Coop appeared, dragging a very pissed off looking Phoebe.

"What's with the kidnapping routine?" she grumbled to her husband.

"We need to have a talk," Leo answered his sister-in-law. She shot Piper a look who just shrugged in return. Leo hadn't said one word as to what this little get together was about.

"Apparently," Phoebe muttered.

"We had a little chat with Paige today," Coop began. At the mention of their baby sister's name, both women stood up, ready to leave.

"Oh no you don't. Sit down," Coop ordered, looking sternly at Phoebe and Piper. Unaccustomed to this tone, they sat down.

"We understand that she hurt you. But that doesn't mean you have to hold a seven month grudge over her head. She's having a baby…" Leo interjected.

"She used us, Leo," Phoebe rebutted.

"But she is still your sister and she needs you. She's working herself ragged just trying to make ends meet," he countered.

"Leo, she brought this on herself," Piper spat.

"Piper, she recognizes what she did and trust me when I say this. She regrets putting your relationship on the line," her husband explained.

"So, what are we supposed to do? Just say we forgive you and act like nothing happened?" Piper shot back.

"No. It's going to take time for the wounds to heal but she needs you right now. She needs her sisters. Right now, aside from Kyle, you're all she has," Leo stressed, trying to show his wife that she needed to set aside her hurt feelings and do the right thing.

"Piper…you can't keep doing this forever. Evil will take advantage of it. You're just lucky it hasn't," he added. He knew she didn't want to hear that.

"Don't you dare bring that up," she hissed.

"If I may interrupt for a moment. I saw them, Piper. I felt their love. While Henry was the one who really got hurt in the crossfire, Paige and Kyle are soul mates. It was inevitable that they would find their way back to each other," Coop interceded.

"So what…we blame this all on the Elders?" Phoebe posited.

"I don't think they knew what they were doing by separating them. So really, there is no one to blame," Coop answered.

The kitchen fell silent as the sisters sat brooding over what their husbands had presented to them. Leo caught Coop's gaze and the pair left the two women alone. They had known the sisters long enough to know when they needed a moment alone to discuss.

"What are we supposed to do?" Phoebe asked of her older sister. She suddenly felt like the youngest child again. In that moment she really missed Prue.

"I don't know. I mean…I guess they have a point. We can't stay mad at her forever," Piper mumbled.

"And…we don't know if Evil will try and take us out all split up like this," Phoebe added.

"But what about Henry?" she suggested.

"I think we need to just leave him alone. He's still really angry at her and I don't think the words of a former angel or a cupid is going to chance that," Piper said, trying unsuccessfully to hide a chuckle.

"Was that laughter I heard?" Leo called, reappearing in the doorway.

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr." Piper addressed her husband.

"We want you to do this…to reconcile of your own wills. We don't want to force you to do it," Leo reminded her.

'We know. And we realize that we've been letting the anger and hurt of others blind us to being what we are first and foremost," Piper began but was interrupted by Phoebe.

"First and foremost we're sisters. And we stick together," Phoebe stated.

"That's what I like to hear. Come on. Why don't we go pay them a visit," Coop suggested and the sisters nodded in agreement.

The quartet arrived at Kyle and Paige's apartment some twenty minutes later, due to traffic. Piper and Phoebe shared a look before they knocked. Leo and Coop had elected to stay in the car. The girls needed this time alone. Slowly the door handle turned and the door was pulled open. A very pregnant and tired looking Paige stared back at him.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Her voice sounded as if she'd been crying recently.

"Whose there?" Kyle asked, appearing in view. He took the few steps until he was standing right behind Paige.

"Let me guess, Leo and Coop sent you?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well…can we at least come in and talk about this?" Phoebe asked, sounding genuinely interested in talking. Paige sighed but pulled the door open and led her guests towards the couch. She orbed several file folders out of the way so they could sit down.

"So how've you been?" Piper asked once they were all seated.

"Cut the crap, Piper. What are you here for?" Paige snapped at her oldest sister.

"We wanted to apologize for being so…cold the past few months," Piper admitted.

"If Leo and Coop put you up to this, just forget it," Paige shot.

"They didn't. They just showed us how stupid we were being. We're family and regardless of what may have happened, we're still family and nothing can change that. And right now, you need us," Phoebe explained.

"We're managing," Paige mumbled into her shirtsleeve.

"Honey, they want to help. And we could use all the help we can get," Kyle whispered in her ear.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I wasn't thinking about what I was doing until after the fact. I'm really sorry that I used you guys," Paige apologized.

"Apology accepted," Phoebe said and extended her arms. Paige stood and gave her sibling a hug.

"You know this isn't just going to go away though," Piper reminded her.

"I know. I have to work to gain your trust back. I understand," Paige answered.

"And I think we have to work to gain yours back too. After all it is our fault that you can't see your son," Phoebe added.

"Yeah…you kind of do," she agreed with a small smile.

"This feels good," Phoebe sighed as they sat together, just enjoying the others' company.

"Did Coop and Leo come with you?" Paige asked.

"Oh…we left them in the car!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"We found our way in," Coop teased as he and Leo appeared.

"Glad to see everything is on its way to being back to some sort of normal," Leo sighed.

--

Two months had passed quickly for the reunited Halliwell sisters. The girls didn't really talk about the whole divorce and affair. That did not mean, however, that they totally ignored the topic. But right now they were focused on the future. Presently Paige was lying in a hospital bed, recovering from another contraction.

"It definitely didn't hurt this much with Henry Jr.," Paige whined as Piper and Phoebe walked into the room.

"Well every baby is different," Piper commented.

"So what are you naming her again?" Phoebe asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed once she'd set the flowers on the nightstand.

"Andrea Rae," Paige answered as she breathed through another contraction. They were getting closer together.

"It's not a P but I guess it will do," Piper teased.

"Oh shut up," Paige snapped as her body relaxed again.

Out in the waiting area, Leo and Coop were pacing around anxiously. They didn't want to overwhelm Paige so they'd elected to wait out here until the baby was born. Both men were glad that they had managed to reunite the sisters in some way. The wounds were still fresh enough in everyone's minds that it would take a lot longer to fully come to terms with what had happened but it was a start. Coop finally sat down, getting dizzy from all of the pacing.

"I hope she's doing ok," he muttered.

"I'm sure she's fine. She's got her sisters and whitelighter in there with her," Leo whispered.

"You're probably right. I guess I'm just remembering Rachel's birth and how—" Coop rambled until Leo shushed him. Standing at the nurse's station was a tall man with a small child, clinging to his legs.

"That's not," Coop gasped.

"Henry," Leo affirmed just as the child turned around and gave them a wave.

"Sir I'm sorry but only family is allowed to see her right now," the nurse was explaining.

"Excuse me," Leo interrupted and dragged Henry away.

"What are you doing here?" the former Whitelighter asked.

"Piper left a message on my answering machine that said she was in the hospital," Henry answered, not sounding too pleased to be here.

"She's fine. She's just having the baby. And she doesn't need the stress of seeing you right now," Coop explained.

"Only family, huh. That's bull. He's not family," Henry spat.

"He's the baby's father and that counts," Leo uttered just as Phoebe came barreling down the hall.

"I'm an Auntie…again!" she squealed excitedly until she caught sight of Henry.

"Congratulations," Henry muttered and picked up his son. With that he turned his back on them and left the hospital without so much as a backward glance. Just then Piper appeared and ushered them all in. No one mentioned Henry's little appearance to Paige or Kyle. It wasn't important. Right now they needed to be a family and dote on the newborn.


End file.
